Celebrate the Games 3-5

By

November 29, 2017

Kids in the middle grades are the prime age to be curious about the wide world, and the world of their friendships. Watching the Olympics together can be fertile ground for exploring these topics. We’ve suggested the following projects to teachers, and will update this section as we see what is happening in classrooms:

Tell your students this story from the Rio 2016 Olympic games, when two athletes displayed Olympism in the middle of a race, or this story from the Sochi 2014 games, about a Canadian cross-country ski coach also showing Olympism. Ask your students to discuss in pairs or small groups, ways they can show Olympism — excellence, friendship, and respect — in their daily lives. Ask them to draw and write about their ideas.

Lead a discussion about the Olympic opening ceremonies. You might display photos from opening ceremonies for your students to study, or watch a trailer from YouTube about the 2018 Olympic or Paralympic Games. Talk about the symbolism of this event — How does it give countries a chance to show national pride? How does it help promote unity between people from different cultures, who speak different languages? Do the Games live up to the modern Olympics’ founder Pierre de Coubertin’s goal of the youth of the world uniting?

If you’re celebrating the Games, be sure to send us some snapshots via social media!